


Golden Shell

by Katybug1992



Series: Tumblr Prompts [31]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Muggle, F/M, Hermione and Theo are twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-22 22:26:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17671271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katybug1992/pseuds/Katybug1992
Summary: Harry wrote a book on the different kinds of people he met over the years going to an elite private school in New York's Upper East Side.  But when the chapter on Hermione makes it into her hands, he knows he's lost her forever.





	Golden Shell

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a quote from Gossip Girl

Harry had finished his book on what he had learned about the different people you ran into in the world of the Upper East Side elites that he had attended school with. He went through all the documents, making sure he had everything, before frantically searching for the last chapter, the most important chapter. The chapter was on Hermione Nott, the shining star of the Upper East Side and his on-and-off girlfriend. Although, the romantic relationship ended last Spring when Hermione had chosen Draco Malfoy over restarting her relationship with Harry. They had since moved toward a friendly relationship, Hermione trusting him enough to confide in him about everything. He tore around his desk, trying to find the pages he knew he printed off.

"’Hermione is nothing, she's a golden shell. Give her love and she'll do anything you want." Hermione entered the room, reading from the papers in her hand and her voice shaking with hurt and anger.

“Hermione, I know you're upset-” Harry whipped around and moved to where Hermione was now standing, in the middle of the room.

“‘With daddy issues like these, it's not hard to push the right buttons and once you do, the most powerful girl on the upper East Side has no power at all’.” Hermione continued to read the read of the opening section to the chapter on her. She looked at Harry, her eyes shining with hurt, “I would understand if you had written this in the spring. You were so mad at me then. Why would you write this now?”

“Why-why not now?” Harry replied, looking confused, “It's no less true than it was then.”

“I'm confused.” Hermione’s voice was bitter, “So, has everything that's happened since Cotillion been a lie? The Vespa? The bar? Did you ask someone to stop the elevator?

“Vanya...I told him I was trying to win you back.” Harry rubbed the back of his neck. He had spent a good amount of time trying to win Hermione back from Malfoy, going so far as to arrange for the elevator to get stuck last month, and had put everything her felt for her out in the open. He had told her that he had loved her since he first saw her, he told her about how that love had only grown and that he wanted to be with her. He told her that he would take her out of New York, away from those who he thought had pushed Draco Malfoy on her, and they could start all over again. Looking into those honey colored eyes, he said, “But everything I've said...about how I feel is the truth.”

“That's not possible. That doesn't make sense.” Hermione laughed bitterly, “You couldn't say these things about me if you loved me. I invited you into my home, Harry, and my world. And then you just humiliate me.”

“That is the issue.” Harry pointed at her, using air quotes, “‘My world’.”

“Oh come on! It's a figure of speech.” Hermione fired back.

“No, it has always been your world and you've never let me forget it. I've always been a visitor.” Harry sneered back, his voice raising, “The poor kid from Brooklyn who you've never seen as an equal to you.”

“Okay, so this is your payback.” Hermione waved the papers at him, “Do you feel better about riding the subway to school since you made a fool of me to everyone?”

With that, Hermione threw the papers in the air and stalked out of the apartment as the pages scattered around the room, refusing to let Harry see her tears. He sighed before picking up the pages and putting them in the proper order. 

 

He knew the minute Hermione made it back to the UES when his phone started buzzing and it was Theo, Hermione’s brother, calling.

“Look,” Harry picked up the phone, “I don’t have time--”

“You put Hermione on a pedestal and whenever she shows that she’s not perfect, you get mad. You hate when she doesn’t fit into the box that you want her to fit into. You hate that Draco just wants her to be who she is and not be a caricature of herself. She appears strong, but she is vulnerable to the people who know where to stab. So, congratulations, you broke through that armor. Don’t come near my sister again.”

With that, Theo hung up and Harry just stared down at his phone.


End file.
